Matt Hardigree

Sino-Swedish automaker Volvo has apologized on behalf of the engineer who attacked a spy photographer in a story we brought you first last week. Volvo was quite friendly about it and everyone seems happy with the outcome.

The relationship between spy photographer and prototype engineer is something akin to hunter and…
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If you don't remember, just watch the video above showing an unnamed angry Swedish engineer for Volvo trying to protect the XC40 by violating the main rule of spy photography (and strip clubs): NO TOUCHING!

The attack, which is really more of a brief kerfuffle, ended with temporary damage to Williams' equipment and a bruise. Also, the great tagline "You broke the zoom dude!"

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After seeing our article, Volvo's Senior Vice President Bodil Eriksson sent a letter of apology and an offer to replace or repair any broken equipment, which Williams shared with us.

Dear Mr Williams,

The recent post on the Jalopnik website has been brought to my attention and I wanted to write to sincerely apologise for your experiences. The behaviour of our test engineer in this case is clearly unacceptable and indefensible and we are, of course, trying to get to the bottom of why he reacted in the way he did when you legitimately and lawfully filmed the car he was driving.

Please accept my apologies on behalf of Volvo Cars and if, as a result of the incident, any of your equipment has been damaged, we will of course be happy to pay for replacement items. If this is the case, I would ask you to liaise with our Vice President of Corporate Communication in Volvo Cars North America, Geno Effler who I know you have already had contact with and who I am copying on this email to make sure you have his e-mail, should you need it.

Yours sincerely,

Bodil Eriksson

Williams, who often shoots for us, says he's not asking for anything of Volvo and is pleased with the outcome, going so far as to tell us that he'd be happy to grab a hot dog with the engineer. Let's hope the engineer leaves the jean shorts to himself (or are they jean capris?).